This relates generally to imaging systems, and more particularly, to imaging systems with image pixels having variable light collecting areas.
Image sensors are commonly used in electronic devices such as cellular telephones, cameras, and computers to capture images. In a typical arrangement, an electronic device is provided with an array of image pixels arranged in pixel rows and pixel columns. Circuitry is commonly coupled to each pixel column for reading out image signals from the image pixels.
Conventional imaging systems include an image sensor in which the visible light spectrum is sampled by red, green, blue, clear, or other colored image pixels having a light collecting areas of a common size. In some situations, pixels of one color may saturate due to bright lights while nearby pixels of another color have not yet received enough image light to reach an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio. This can be particularly problematic in imaging systems with clear or nearly clear image pixels that receive light in a wide range of wavelengths in comparison with nearby single color pixels such as red and blue pixels.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to improved imaging systems with clear pixels.